You have no idea how terrible my life has been over the past 12+ hours. You ever someone blow your phone up, then your text messages, then your social media instant messages, then your emails? Ever have it all pertaining to the same subject? Yes, usually this comes from an ex or stalker or a superfan trying to contact their favorite wrestler of all time.
Anyways, the ratings for this past Monday came out and boy oh boy we here at Mmouse Enterprises have not had a moment of peace ever since. The boss has been truly excited about the news and wants everyone in the company to know it. Not that he has been crediting anyone but his own genius for it, but he wants everyone to know that after 35 tries, PWI (in concert with HCW, by the way) pulled off its first ratings victory since 2010.
I will have more on this in my predictions and preview column. Just know that we are far from done with hearing about this. Oh boy.
TEN. SWERVE ARRIVES!
We kick off our weekly countdown with one of my favorite moments in wrestling this week (I mean, otherwise, it wouldn’t be on this list…right? LOL). AJ Styles came out to whine about not being champion anymore and point his ugly Georgian fingers at the greatest star in existence for supposedly playing a part in that. Look, Styles, you have no one to blame but the man in the mirror! MJF is merely playing the game that has existed for many years and you have clearly not mastered it as much as you like to pretend!
Anyways, Tearjerkermania 1 was about finished when Swerve Strickland finally stepped out live and in person on AEW television! In a weird departure from recent history of these guys who jump ship, the commentary team played down Swerve’s time in HLW/AXW, PWI, and HCW, and instead pointed to his time in the Indies where he tore it up before HLW hired him. I mean, he still had great matches with each of these previous brands, but whatever.
As Swerve gets to the ring, he speaks to Styles and says that he wants a match at New Horizons and Styles wipes his boogers and tears away long enough to accept. Should be a great match and I will offer an official prediction for it before the show airs, but I hope Swerve kicks his ass!
NINE. DARBY GUNS FOR CODY
It’s almost like Darby needed a little extra something to get him over, and that’s exactly what has happened. A far cry from being a mere underdog suicidally pursuing a Beast Incarnate, Darby is now an increasing threat to the locker ever since he surrounded himself with the Brothers of Destruction. Now, I find myself sort of rooting for Darby to beat Cody for the TV Title at New Horizons because I am starting to seriously enjoy what we are seeing here.
I liked Darby’s promo on Dynamite this week, as it really did the job it needed to of selling me on this impending match. Cody is in trouble, and we will get to more on that with the next column!
EIGHT. DOC BROWN’S SPEED TABLE
WWE has a slight problem on their hands: they keep putting a lot of their best stuff on the DEVELOPMENTAL show with no competition! The MOST HILARIOUS moment this week in pro wrestling – for my money, at least – was when Doc Brown pitched his insane idea of a show called WWE Speed, featuring a Speed Championship, with the rules of the title consisting of six men snorting cocaine off of a spinning table.
I laughed so fucking hard at this! Shame on Murrey for shooting down this incredibly genius move! Hell, I hope that Brown defects and created his of BSW (Brown Speed Wrestling) and enacts this idea all be his lonesome! TAKE MY MONEY!!
SEVEN. LEXIS KING PSYCHOANALYZES REED
Closing out NXT was another fantastic promo from Lexis King. In this latest installment, King took it upon himself to find his inner Freud and psychoanalyze Bronson Reed in preparation for their impending NXT Title Match at Stand and Deliver. He told the story of Reed’s childhood and used this to pick apart any belief that Reed truly stood a chance to win. I have been saying ever since this young man stepped out on to the scene: King is the future of the business and I think that all of the top guys – industry wide – need to be on notice!
SIX. LOVE ON THE SEA: RYBACK’S MOM EDITION
Raw opened up in awesome fashion, for what it’s worth, as a camera crew was on site out on a grand boat with a seemingly jealous or overprotective captain watching Johnny Lawrence save Ryback’s mom from certain doom. Ryback’s mother – whose name has yet to be mentioned, by the way – was so smitten by Lawrence for breathing life back into her that she was apparently ready to cast everyone else nearby into the water just to have a moment alone with her savior!
I can’t wait to see how this all winds up playing a part in the match between Lawrence and Ryback. Lawrence is still my favorite part of WWE programming – and that is despite many numerous candidates emerging to challenge the spot -, but he was nowhere near the best part of WWE this week, but more on that in a few.
FIVE. STEINER WINS BY DQ
I had to adjust my positioning in my chair when watching the backstage segment featuring MJF picking Steiner over Wardlow. I thought briefly to myself that this was a miscalculation on the part of the uncrowned champion. I mean, how could he overlook the dedication of Wardlow for this newcomer to their group? Then, I had to check myself. “Trust in MJF”, I thought. Surely, he had a damn good reason, a master plan for sending Steiner out there instead of Wardlow.
Well, I was right! While Steiner definitely held his own against the champion, he was never going to be allowed to lose. That’s because MJF knew exactly what to do: get Danielson disqualified, if it came to that! Going nuclear and making Steiner the overgrown sacrificial lamb was exactly the work of a genius who is ready to lead AEW!
I know, Steiner was left behind to take an additional beat down from the embarrassed champion, but that was him taking one for Team MJF, the only team anyone with a brain would want to be on!
FOUR. JESSE VENTURA’S PROMO
Nostalgia is a reliable drug in all forms of entertainment. While Jesse Ventura’s moment this past Tuesday most certainly sucked all of the oxygen out of the room from Brock Anderson, it was a moment iconic enough for me that my eyes were firmly attached to the screen and my ears were undeniably locked in. Ventura gave us a brief history lesson about why he has had a career-long loyalty to Murrey, spanning back to when Murrey successfully battled cancer.
He also reminisced about his own contributions in the business under Murrey’s guidance, including against legendary opponents like Brock’s father, Arn. There was absolutely a reason why Ventura’s 15 WWF Title reigns were so celebrated by Murrey, and why they happened to begin with.
It also speaks volumes that Anderson didn’t say a word in this, but we will delve more into that with my predictions for the week to come!
THREE. FIRE AT THE MURREY MANSION
The BEST thing that WWE did this week was the story they told at Murrey’s home; the beautiful mansion that he had bought with the success he has enjoyed over a multi-decade career as a promoter.
We are first welcomed into his home as witnesses to Thomas Griffith getting his handed to him by the Misfits. Jeff is having none of this sly crap in his house and makes the devilish “Terry Silver” pay for entering his house.
Then, we hear that Doc Brown has an idea (see the hilarious segment I reference above) and then there is a FUCKING FIRE!
Danhausen emerges, saying that this is his curse coming to fruition, but it wasn’t him. Rather it was Fandango and Camden Cross (allegedly), who were disguised as kitchen staff members.
This helped make Raw very competitive ratings-wise. Don’t let their 3rd place finish fool you: any other week this likely would have finished first!
TWO. HIDDEN CAMERA CATCHES A PLOT
Something that I am ashamed to admit to enjoying is the downfall of my brother. No, not because I don’t love him, but rather because it makes for good television!
Additionally, these hidden or otherwise forbidden caught on camera moments are fantastic and rather effective in adding to the realism of what we are seeing. And what did we see here, exactly?
I might have to save some of this for my predictions, but Benny and Sami were discussing some diabolical plot involving my niece – Megan, not Catherine -, and I am going through my head pondering whatever the hell this might consist of.
They discussed something that is so heinous that it will rock the industry and earn widespread condemnation, and while committing a little 187/MDK may come to mind, we have to consider that Mickey literally ended my father’s life as part of a story. Yes, our family really is that fucked up.
So, what the hell is on tap here? I am anxious to find out.
ONE. HIGHMINDED AND BLOODLINE CLASH
Lastly, the greatest thing in wrestling outside of PWI-HCW this week was this unfolding saga between Highminded and the Bloodline. Heyman pleading with Roman to honor the agreement and release Midget Hogan only to be struck down was great and may have finally catapulted Roman into being fully recognized as the cold-hearted mob boss that he has been trying to convince us of for the past two years.
Then we had the attempted rescue aided by a diversion with a fire. Riddle blew the cover for the group trying to save Midget Hogan (I am going to call him “M. Hogan” from now on…sheesh), and it all went to shit from there: for the rescue, not the segment.
The War Games match – the first Main Stream edition of this match outside of Mmouse Enterprises – is going to be simply awesome. I will save any further comments about it for the predictions, but I do want it to be known that I absolutely have been enjoying this, and it is only getting better with each week!
That does it for this installment of “Wrestling with Lenny”, look for my predictions and preview for the week ahead within the next 24 hours!
World Of Wrestling: Murrey Universe 